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Admeto, Re di Tessaglia, HWV22

Introduction

Admeto, Re di Tessaglia, first performed on 31 January 1727, has some claim to be the greatest of the operas of this period. The libretto, ultimately based on Antonio Aureli’s L’Antigona delusa da Alceste (Venice, 1660) is an elaboration of the classical legend best known from Euripides’ play Alcestis. Admeto (Admetus), King of Thessaly, falls ill, and the oracle predicts that he will die unless another is prepared to die in his place. His wife Alceste undertakes to make this sacrifice. Admeto recovers, only to find that Alceste is dead, and is at first unaware of the connection between the two events. The hero Hercules, a visitor at Admeto’s court, on learning the truth, rescues Alceste from the underworld and restores her to Admeto. In the opera the situation is complicated by the presence of a second woman, the Trojan princess Antigona, who was once betrothed to Admeto (though the two had never met) and whom he abandoned in favour of Alceste. She sees the death of Alceste as an opportunity to win Admeto back. In Act II Alceste is brought back to life by Hercules, but in order to see whether Admeto remains faithful to her, she disguises herself as a soldier and tells Hercules to report that he was unable to find her in the underworld. There is a new twist to the story with the revelation that Admeto only rejected Antigona because his brother Trasimede, himself in love with Antigona, gave Admeto a false portrait of her. A page is sent to fetch the true portrait, but brings a picture of Admeto by mistake. He is ordered to take it back, but drops it. In the final scene of the act the picture is found by Antigona, who, overheard by the disguised Alceste, addresses it with a declaration of love. Both women have optimistic arias, but in contrasting styles reflecting their characters. An airy triple-time tune suggests the flighty Antigona, while Alceste’s loyalty and determination are indicated by solid counterpoint.

'This CD is appealing on every plane. It's certainly one of my discs for 1997' (Gramophone)'The voices contrast well, and their owners, as well as The Brandenburg Consort, perform this wonderful music with style and an intense sense of affec ...» More

Alceste: Soon I shall see
if my beloved
has changed his desire,
or if, ever faithful,
he still adores me
as I adore him.
Even if he treats my love
as a joke,
despite him,
I, ever constant,
will love him.

Antigona: In his haste the careless servant has left behind
the portrait of Admetus;
it is no slight thing, O Fortune,
that you place in my hands
the delightful picture
of him which is engraved on my heart.
Oh dear Admetus, oh face that I worship!Alceste: (‘Oh dear Admetus!’
Who is this woman? What do I hear?)Antigona: Love knows, my beloved, how much I adore you:
allow me to kiss you,
adored features, and let me die.Alceste: (As she sighs in this way
over the picture of the king, my husband,
she brings death to me.)Antigona: Who is looking at me?Alceste: A warrior,
who heard your voice.Antigona: So speaks one who is pierced by love.Alceste: (Hold back, oh my heart!) Ah, tell me,
do you love that face?Antigona: I love it, indeed,
and though harsh destiny
has opposed me,
I hope one day that fate
will allow him to be my husband.Alceste: (This is too much!) Who are you?Antigona: I cannot give you any clue
to my identity;
all I will say to you is that I am
a plaything of fate and fortune.Alceste: And where do you live?Antigona: At court.Alceste: (I have never seen her there.) Go back home!Antigona: Farewell.Alceste: Go in peace; ah, no!
Wait, listen, tell me,
do you love the Thessalian king?Antigona: By him I am inflamed.Alceste: And do you hope to gain him as your husband?Antigona: Ask me no more, more I dare not say.

Alceste: Is this then the faith
he keeps to me, he for whom I have just
sacrificed my own life?
Most ungrateful king, wicked husband.
But … do you rave, oh Alceste?
Perhaps she stole the beloved picture
and puts up this pretence
to hide from me that she has stolen it.